The Civil War Letters of Aaron Jones Fletcher

 

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Letter dated January 27, 1865 from Lottie [Charlotte] C. Faulkner, South Acton, Mass., to Aaron Jones Fletcher

Page 1 and 4 (JPEG)
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South Acton Jan 27, 1865

Dear Friend Joney
Your kind letter of Jan 15th
was duly received; and as I am at home
alone this evening, or alone with the exception
of Mother, , - I thought – I would improve this
present opportunity to answer it. I was
indeed quite surprised when I found it
was from you, for I did not suppose that
now you were a Soldier boy in the “land of
Dixie” that you ever thought of your old
friend and Teacher, but I assure you that
its unexpected arrival made it none the
less welcome, for it was read with much
interest and pleasure. I hardly know what
to write that will be of interest to you for

 

[p.2]
I suppose you hear from your Acton friends
so often that you get all the general news
of the town, and you know that in our
quiet little village of South Acton, we do
not have anything that is very exciting.
We have a Lyceum here every Saturday Eve,
which is quite interesting, and it seems very
pleasant and social, as we did not have any
last winter. We have also a large “Singing
School” at the Center of the town, but that
I have attended only one evening thus far,
I do not like the teacher very well.
Jennie, Carrie, Sophie and brother Harry
have all gone to Harvard tonight to a
dance, and I guess they will have a fine
time, for it is splendid sleighing, and
there are fourteen of them gone from this
village in a large double sleigh together.
There are as many more going from the
West Village. I wanted very much to go
with them, but there was not room for all
to ride, so I told Harry I would remain at
home, but I guess I shall feel all the brighter

 

[p.3]
for so doing in the morning, even if I was a
little disappointed by it, and they will want
one bright one among them tomorrow to keep
them awake. We are going to have a Levee and
dance here in about a week; it is too bad
you are not at home to enjoy with the rest
some of these good times, and I hope you
may be successful in obtaining a furlough
although as you say, fifteen days does
indeed seem a very short time to spend
with your friends at home, and passes
away almost before one is aware of it, but
then it is better than nothing, unless even a
short enjoyment of the pleasures of home and its
privileges should make it the harder for
you to be deprived of them on your return.
We do enjoy having brother Harry [Winthrop Harrison Faulkner] at home
with us again after his long absence of six
years, and I am very thankful that he did
not re-enlist, and I rather think he is now
although he said it was a very hard thing to
resist – his Comrades urgent requests to do
so, he seems to have go enough of War to

 

[p.4]
fully satisy him without any desire to go
back, and is much more contented at home
than I ever supposed he would be after leading
such a roving and exciting life for the past
few years. I understand there are quite a number
of soldiers from your Regt home on furlough,
but I have not happened to meet any of them
yet, but hope I may before they return. Who
is your Captain now, since Col. Chapman
promotion? I suppose there had been a great
change in the Companies since it was reorgan-
ized into a Battalion. I am very thankful you
were permitted to escape from those severe battles,
in which so many of brave soldier boys gave
their lives a sacrifice for their country. Mr.
Bennett is at home again on another furlough.
This makes the fourth one he has had, and he
has not been in service a year yet. I think
he must either be one of the fortunate and
favored kind, or else they send him home
to get rid of him, I don’t know which, but
certainly every soldier is not as lucky as that.
You say the weather is quite changeable out there,
I should think you would take cold in such
sudden change. It has been quite cold here for
the last fortnight, with a storm about every third
day. The snow is not very deep but enough for good sleighing.

 

[top of p.1]
I think we have had eighteen snowstorms
this season so far, so you may judge that we
have have had but precious little skating
this Winter. I have not even had my skates
on yet, and whats more, I fear I shall not have
a chance to do so. If your letter had been a
long one Joney, it would not have discouraged
me in the least – for that is just the kind I  like.
I do not think your letter needs any apology
either for the writing or composition of it
for they were both so neatly and well done
that I was almost afraid to send any of my hasty
scribbling in reply and most assurely do I
deem it worth an answer, and I think a
soldiers letter above all others should always
received our first attention, for is it not to
those brave boys that we owe everything which
we now enjoy at home? Is it not they who have
given up every thing and gone forth to stand between
us and the enemy as our protectors? And if a few lines
from any pen in any way help to cheer and
divert the monotony of Camp life to you my soldier
friend, mostly gladly shall I be to write. The girls
unite with me in sending their love. Hoping to hear
from you again, and trusting that God may still
watch over, and in due time return you in safety to
your home and friends, I close and remain
Ever your Friend,  Lottie C. Faulkner